Patients often undergo radiation therapy to treat portions of the neck near the upper esophageal sphincter (UES). One side effect of such treatment is scarring and stiffening of nearby tissue, which is caused by radiation induced fibrosis. Other causes of UES dysfunction include acid reflux disease, cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction, and upper esophageal web. To treat this affliction, an esophageal dilator can be dilated within the UES for a period of time to help remodel the scar tissue.
Current esophageal dilators are cylindrical and have been developed to dilate the esophageal body that has a round circumference. Recent animal research casting the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) in sheep suggests that the diameter of the upper esophageal sphincter is not round and that currently available dilators are inappropriate for UES dilation.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a device that better approximates the biomechanical dimensions of the sphincter.